In June, we posted the international movie trailer for Sylvain Chomet‘s The Illusionist, which looked amazing. I got a chance to screen the film at the Telluride film festival, and it is a visually stunning testament to the art of 2D animation. The film is set to be released in the states (in limited theaters) beginning on December 25th 2010 (the only real Christmas release this year), and Sony Pictures Classics have finally released a proper U.S. movie trailer. Watch the trailer now embedded after the jump. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Here’s the extended synopsis from Pathe UK:

The Illusionist is one of a dying breed of stage entertainers. With emerging rock stars stealing his thunder, he is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, at garden parties and in bars and cafés. However, whilst performing in a village pub off the west coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever.

Watching his performance to the excited villagers who are celebrating the arrival of electricity to their remote island, Alice becomes awestruck by our hero and believes his tricks are real magic. Following him to Edinburgh, she keeps his home while he goes to work in a small local theatre. Enchanted by her enthusiasm for his act, he rewards her with increasingly lavish gifts he has ‘conjured’ into existence. Desperate not to disappoint her, he cannot bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist and that buying these gifts is driving him to ruin.

But as Alice comes of age, she finds love and moves on. The Illusionist no longer has to pretend and, untangled from his own web of deceit, resumes his life as a travelling entertainer, a much wiser man.

Watch the trailer in high defintion on Apple. The Illusionist is set to be released in the states (in limited theaters) beginning on December 25th 2010.